[nagdu] docking and cropping dogs

Tamara Smith-Kinney tamara.8024 at comcast.net
Fri Feb 5 18:34:36 UTC 2010 

Linda,

I agree!  I did get to meet a "natural" dobie not too long ago.  It was
beautiful.  In fact, when I "saw" it at a distance, the shape was so
familiar, I called out, "Is that a poodle?"  /smile/

Mitzi came with cropped tail, but with poodles they crop it longer than they
do on rotties and dobes.  She uses it quite expressively!  I still have the
occasional moral crisis over it, though, since I don't agree with cropping.

I let her grow out during the winter then finally gave it up and took her in
last weekend for resizing.  /lol/ It's always so weird to leave a big
puffball and come back later to pick up a suddenly tiny, tiny dog.  /lol/  I
asked them to leave the tail long, because I want to see if I can grow it
out enough that I can comb it into a nice, wavy pseudo-tail, which some
poodle owners do.  Only they forgot to leave a bit of top knot to balance it
out.  The tail is still in a very puffball stage, so now it appears as if my
slender, elegant dog has her own small animal wafting through the air behind
her.  The pouf seemed proportional when the rest of her curls were that
long.  Now when I comb it out it's nearly as wide as her butt.  /lol/  I may
give up the long wavy tail plan and just get it trimmed back down to size
next time to save my poor dog the indignity.  /grin/  

I do love being able to see her elegant lines, though.  She's so black that
against any light surface I can see her figure still, which is great.  I'm
glad I've been able to observe her enough to have a good image of her in my
mind's eye.  I can hear her footsteps behind me and see exactly what she's
doing by the pattern of the dance.  /smile/

This is sometimes a drawback, however.  Every now and then I wander around
the house with my mind on other things and look around for my poodle so that
I can say silly things to her for her amusement.  I do not know whether the
shadowed part of the off-white couch or recliner, or the vacuum cleaner
handle or any of the other objects I have played boo-boo with are amused or
not.  /smile/  It does seem to amuse DD to no end, though, if he happens to
be in the room.  Naturally, he keeps his mouth shut and lets me go on, no
doubt smirking like a fiend.  /lol/

Daisy's high contrast black and tan on white kept her pretty visible to me
until a few months ago.  Now when I walk into the living room for after
dinner TV snuggles, her dad automatically says, "Don't sit on my dog."
Which reminds me to feel where I sit instead of looking, since I can no
longer tell the dog from the pillows and shadows around them.  Yes, I have
lovingly patted the pillows while in the act of sitting on the dog.  Sigh.

Wonder if I will *ever* learn not to watch where I'm going?  Bad habits
truly are hard to break. /grin/  I'm sure I don't help myself any by going
to such great lengths to see my dog as long as I can, and I can't seem to
keep my sunglasses on at the park because I have to get them out of the way
so I can "see" all the other dogs, too.  /smile/  Vision isn't the end all
and be all people who have always had it believe it is, but savoring those
last glimpses of visual beauty leaves me jonesing for a fix!  I think I can
expect to lose the last bits of color vision over the next few months; I
only "see" the color of something if I know what it is, and even then I find
out I'm totally wrong if I ask someone about it.  The logistical and
psychosocial aspects of adapting to progressive vision loss are just plain
difficult, although I prefer to think of it as a challenge. /smile/  The
deeper neurological process is fairly fascinating to me, even if it is
frequently just plain weird.  /grin/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Linda Gwizdak
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 2:23 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: [nagdu] docking and cropping dogs

Hi Tami,
Yeah, you and me both!  I've been to local dog shows and watched the German 
shepherds walk.  Their hips were so weak and angulated that they looked like

walking in a squat position - not attractive!  I think the show people like 
the curvy, flowing lines the dogs have with that angulation.

Working shepherds have a straight topline and strong hips - as produced at 
guide dog schools.  Seeing Eye's shepherds have a nice straight topline and 
they have good hips for the work.  Those Best-In-Show shepherds couldn't 
hold up to a good working shepherd worth a diddle.

It's the same for the pug-nosed breeds. They are bred with such severe 
shortened noses that they can't breathe right!  that's why you hear that 
labored breathing from Boxers, Pugs, Bulldogs - English and French ones. 
These people seem to want to recreate dogs in the images they want whether 
it is healthy for the dog or not.

Take ear cropping and tail docking - both of which are illegal in the 
British Isles.  Dock the tail and you take aaway a dog's full ability to do 
doggie communication to avoid fights and misunderstandings with each other. 
Crop the ears and the ear is left open to all kinds of foreign debris. 
Natural flop ears are hairless while natural erect ears have lots of hair in

the canal to keep stuff out.  Very sad.

More people are chosing to leave ears and tails natural.  What are the ears 
and tails like for those of you using Boxer and Dobie guide dogs?  My 
friend, who had a Dobie from Pilot in the 1980s that had both docked tail 
and cropped ears.  Does Pilot still crop ears or have the puppy raisers do 
this? It would be so nice if America stopped allowing this to be done to 
dogs.  they are beautiful as they come into this world!

Lyn and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tamara Smith-Kinney" <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 10:07 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dog names


> Linda,
>
> Yeah, every time I used see the Best of Breed GSD in the televised dog
> shows, I would get so mad!  Why do that to such a great breed?  How is it
> even attractive?
>
> I've been seeing some really great, really straight young shepherds at the
> dog park we go to.  I like the more level top line much better!
>
> So maybe the breed is heading back toward a healthier hip angle.  I hope 
> so!
>
> Tami Smith-Kinney
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Linda Gwizdak
> Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 11:54 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dog names
>
> Marion,
> I wonder if GDF will encounter the same problems with German shepherds as
> GDB?  It's a shame how this beautiful breed has been ruined by the 
> show-dog
> crowd!
>
> I know aboout the "pressure" of being the first one in something. In my 
> work
>
> with the Humane Society, I am the first disabled person with their service
> dog to join the Pet-Assisted Therapy Program.  they've had lots of
> puppy-raisers and their service dog pups, but not someone like me. they 
> are
> very happy with my and Landon's performance of the job that another 
> program
> wants me to join them!
>
> You'll do fine - and the new shepherd guide!
>
> Lyn and Landon
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Marion & Martin" <swampfox1833 at verizon.net>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 10:08 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dog names
>
>
>> Linda,
>>    GDF hasn't trained Shepherds in more than 20 years. Because I have so
>> much experience with the breed, they are re-introducing them with me as
>> their first handler. Oh, the pressure! (smile)
>>
>> Marion
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Linda Gwizdak" <linda.gwizdak at cox.net>
>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 12:54 PM
>> Subject: [nagdu] Dog names
>>
>>
>>> Hi Marion,
>>> I didn't think Guide Dog Foundation used German shepherds anymore. The
>>> name "Sarge" seems to fit a shepherd more than it would a Lab.  I have a
>>> friend at the Naval Medical Center who has a Lab named "Scout".
>>>
>>> My dog, Landon is named for Michael Landon actor in the old TV series,
>>> "Bonanza" - Little Joe who was always fighting!  The actor Landon was
>>> also in "Little House on the Prairie" and I think "Stairway to Heaven".
>>> He was a more mature and peaceful charactor on those two shows! I 
>>> enjoyed
>
>>> the first two shows!
>>>
>>> My old dogs were Heidi, Charm (and she was!), Brownie (my Mom said for
>>> her brown eyes - she was black!), Olivia, Hanna, Janelle, Jacob, and now
>>> Landon. I liked all the names and didn't feel the need to change them.
>>>
>>> Lyn and Landon
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Marion & Martin" <swampfox1833 at verizon.net>
>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 6:37 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Interesting Names Re: guide dog book about young
>>> person
>>>
>>>
>>>> Rox,
>>>>    When I first heard my future guide dog's name, my first impression
>>>> was, "Oh, no! That will need to change!" However, the more I have
>>>> learned about him, the more his name seems to fit him! He is a big
>>>> German Shepherd,weighing in at 91 lbs. about three weeks ago and not 
>>>> yet
>
>>>> 2 years old. He has an all black face and gold eyes! His name is Sarge!
>>>>    Now, I'm a fairly liberal person and would consider myself a peace
>>>> activist, so the name seemed a little out-of-place for me. At the same
>>>> time, my first trainer was also the Founder and Executive Director of
>>>> the school from which I recieved my first three guide dogs. He is now
>>>> the Director of Training (I think they call it Training Officer) for 
>>>> the
>
>>>> Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind. His name? Well, Mike Sargeant, 
>>>> often
>
>>>> called "Sarge"! When I spoke with him the last time, he referred to my
>>>> dog as "my namesake"! Mike is a great guy and I count him as a close
>>>> colleague, so I couldn't change Sarge's name now! BTW, Mike told me he
>>>> thought of changing Sarge's name himself just to rattle my cage! To
>>>> what? Well, he said he thought of "ACB"! Nice guy, huh? And I call him 
>>>> a
>
>>>> friend? (big grin)
>>>>
>>>> fraternally yours,
>>>> Marion
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>> From: "The Pawpower Pack" <pawpower4me at gmail.com>
>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 8:45 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Interesting Names Re: guide dog book about young
>>>> person
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> When I adopted Laveau from the humane society, her name was Marge. 
>>>>> That
>
>>>>> had to go because... it just did.  It didn't take her long to switch
>>>>> and now when I say or sign her name she wags like crazy.  She was only
>>>>> a year old and I don't know how long she had been stuck with the 
>>>>> horrid
>
>>>>> moniker of Marge.  No offense to anyone with that name but it just
>>>>> wasn't for her.  Also I'm a huge Harry Potter fan and everyone would
>>>>> have called her aunt Marge.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Rox and the Kitchen Bitches
>>>>> Bristol (retired), Mill'E SD. and Laveau Guide Dog, CGC.
>>>>> "It's wildly irritating to have invented something as revolutionary as
>>>>> sarcasm, only to have it abused by amateurs." -- Christopher Moore
>>>>> pawpower4me at gmail.com
>>>>>
>>>>> Windows Live Only: Brisomania at hotmail.com
>>>>> AIM: Brissysgirl Yahoo: lillebriss
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>> nagdu:
>>>>>
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/swampfox1833%40verizo
> n.net
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>> nagdu:
>>>>
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/linda.gwizdak%40cox.n
> et
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nagdu mailing list
>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> nagdu:
>>>
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/swampfox1833%40verizo
> n.net
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nagdu mailing list
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nagdu:
>>
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/linda.gwizdak%40cox.n
> et
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nagdu:
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/tamara.8024%40comcast
> .net
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nagdu:
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/linda.gwizdak%40cox.n
et 


_______________________________________________
nagdu mailing list
nagdu at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/tamara.8024%40comcast
.net

More information about the NAGDU mailing list